Winemaker Notes
The wine shows a dark purple-red color with violet and inky hues. Its elegant nose reveals aromas of berries and flowers, with black and red cherries complemented by dark spices and subtle herbal notes. On the palate, it is dense and refined, offering abundant round tannins and a fresh, very long finish that carries additional layers of berries and spice.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
I’ve never before smelled a wine like this. The captivating aromas are amazing, with lavender, sage, dried potpourri, blackberries, tar, pepper and black licorice. Full-bodied with super tannins that fan out and caress the palate. It’s ethereal and endless. A pure syrah from the owners of Clos Apalta, from unique mountain vineyards.
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Vinous
The 2021 Clos du Lican is 100% Syrah sourced from Apalta in the Colchagua Valley. Aged up to two years in foudres , this dark, nuanced, purple-hued wine unfolds garrigue -like aromas, along with black pepper, blackberry marmalade and a deep cedar layer. Rich and bold, the creamy and overwhelming palate lingers with a silky texture that belies its voluminous mouthfeel. That is precisely the novelty of the 2021 vintage, where cooler conditions added more nuance and detail to the palate.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Well-regarded for intense and exceptionally high quality red wines, the Colchagua Valley is situated in the southern part of Chile’s Rapel Valley, with many of the best vineyards lying in the foothills of the Coastal Range.
Heavy French investment and cutting-edge technology in both the vineyard and the winery has been a boon to the local viticultural industry, which already laid claim to ancient vines and a textbook Mediterranean climate.
The warm, dry growing season in the Colchagua Valley favors robust reds made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Malbec and Syrah—in fact, some of Chile’s very best are made here. A small amount of good white wine is produced from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.